Director Kevin Smith Kicked Off Southwest Flight for 'Being Fat'

http://www.latimes.com/features/odd-...,3607084.story

BURBANK -- Southwest Airlines is under fire after director Kevin Smith
was kicked off a recent flight for being overweight.

The "Clerks," "Mallrats" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" director
was ordered off a flight from Oakland to Burbank Saturday. The pilot
reportedly said Smith was a "safety risk" because he was unable to put
down the armrest.

Smith, 39, responded with a barrage of profanity-laced Twitter posts,
saying he was treated worse than a terrorist.

"I know I'm fat, but was (the pilot) really justified in throwing me off
a flight for which I was already seated?" he tweeted. "I broke no
regulation, offered no 'safety risk' (what, was I gonna roll on a fellow
passenger?). I saw someone bigger than me on THAT flight! But I wasn't
about to throw a fellow Fatty under the plane as I'm being profiled. But
he & I made eye contact, & he was like 'Please don't tell...'"

Smith called the incident embarrassing and vowed to continue tweeting
about the airline for telling him he's "too wide for the sky."

Southwest officials said in a statement that as soon as they became
aware of the Twitter posts, they called Smith to offer their "heartfelt
apologies," but also said his removal was for the "safety and comfort of
all customers."

"If a customer cannot comfortably lower the armrest and infringes on a
portion of another seat, a customer seated adjacent would be very
uncomfortable and a timely exit from the aircraft in the event of an
emergency might be compromised if we allow a cramped, restricted seating
arrangement," Southwest said.

Southwest said its "customers of size" policy has been in effect for 25
years and that most airlines have similar rules, but few carriers
enforce them.

The airline said it offered Smith a $100 flight voucher, which he said
he refused. Smith eventually got on another Southwest flight.

He then tweeted a photo of himself on the plane with his cheeks puffed
out, saying,"Look how fat I am on your plane! Quick! Throw me off!"

After landing in Burbank, Smith tweeted, "Don't worry: wall of the plane
was opened & I was airlifted out while Richard Simmons supervised."

Southwest apologized to Smith on Twitter and issued a statement on its
blog, under the title, "Not So Silent Bob." The airline said Smith had
purchased two tickets, as he often does, but when Smith decided to fly
earlier on standby, only one seat was available, and he was told to get
off the plane after he was already seated.

The incident has prompted the National Association to Advance Fat
Acceptance to call for a boycott of Southwest. The group issued a
statement urging "people of size to seek out and travel airlines that do
not have such discriminatory policies."

"You (messed) with the wrong sedentary processed-foods eater!" tweeted
Smith, whose next film, "Cop Out," opens Feb. 26.

"Mr. Goodfat" wrote:

http://www.latimes.com/features/odd-...,3607084.story


None of the comments I've read support his position. People more or less
say that since he is fat, which he readily acknowledes, he should be ready
to accept the consequences.

About the only argument he has is that the airline hasn't been consistent,
as they have regularly let him fly with only one seat reservation in the
past.

In message James Robinson
was claimed to have wrote:

"Mr. Goodfat" wrote:

http://www.latimes.com/features/odd-...,3607084.story


None of the comments I've read support his position. People more or less
say that since he is fat, which he readily acknowledes, he should be ready
to accept the consequences.

About the only argument he has is that the airline hasn't been consistent,
as they have regularly let him fly with only one seat reservation in the
past.

While he *is* fat (a trait he and I share), assuming he fits between the
armrests with the armrests all the way down (another train he and I
share), what's the problem?

"DevilsPGD" wrote in message
...
In message James Robinson
was claimed to have wrote:

"Mr. Goodfat" wrote:

http://www.latimes.com/features/odd-...,3607084.story


None of the comments I've read support his position. People more or less
say that since he is fat, which he readily acknowledes, he should be ready
to accept the consequences.

About the only argument he has is that the airline hasn't been consistent,
as they have regularly let him fly with only one seat reservation in the
past.

While he *is* fat (a trait he and I share), assuming he fits between the
armrests with the armrests all the way down (another train he and I
share), what's the problem?

Obviously you and Smith share the same deficiency, food discipline - but you
can't read..

"The pilot reportedly said Smith was a "safety risk" because he was unable
to put down the armrest. "

In message "Cellulite Damage"
was claimed to have wrote:

"The pilot reportedly said Smith was a "safety risk" because he was unable
to put down the armrest. "

The reports seem to be inconsistent, the first couple articles I read
quoted Kevin as saying he had his seat-belt on and the armrests were
down.

http://snarkfood.com/southwest-apolo...-to-fly/36958/
quotes his twitter feed which indicates the armrests were down, as well
as the following:

| Smith responded by insisting he was able to lower both arm-rests and
|fit just fine in his seat. He challenged the airline to bring a row of
|seats to him for a public fit test.
|
| “If I don’t fit, I’ll donate $10k (£6,380) to charity of your choice,”
|Smith said. “But when I do (& buckle the belt as well) 1) You admit you
|lied. 2) Change your policy, or at least re-train your staff to be a lot
|more human & a lot less corporate.”

The litmus test should only be this: That if a fat person leans over
in their seat and the plane starts to fly in circles.

On Feb 15, 10:18*pm, "Mr. Goodfat" wrote:
http://www.latimes.com/features/odd-...th,0,3607084.s...

BURBANK -- Southwest Airlines is under fire after director Kevin Smith
was kicked off a recent flight for being overweight.

The "Clerks," "Mallrats" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" director
was ordered off a flight from Oakland to Burbank Saturday. The pilot
reportedly said Smith was a "safety risk" because he was unable to put
down the armrest.

Smith, 39, responded with a barrage of profanity-laced Twitter posts,
saying he was treated worse than a terrorist.

"I know I'm fat, but was (the pilot) really justified in throwing me off
a flight for which I was already seated?" he tweeted. "I broke no
regulation, offered no 'safety risk' (what, was I gonna roll on a fellow
passenger?). I saw someone bigger than me on THAT flight! But I wasn't
about to throw a fellow Fatty under the plane as I'm being profiled. But
he & I made eye contact, & he was like 'Please don't tell...'"

Smith called the incident embarrassing and vowed to continue tweeting
about the airline for telling him he's "too wide for the sky."

Southwest officials said in a statement that as soon as they became
aware of the Twitter posts, they called Smith to offer their "heartfelt
apologies," but also said his removal was for the "safety and comfort of
all customers."

"If a customer cannot comfortably lower the armrest and infringes on a
portion of another seat, a customer seated adjacent would be very
uncomfortable and a timely exit from the aircraft in the event of an
emergency might be compromised if we allow a cramped, restricted seating
arrangement," Southwest said.

Southwest said its "customers of size" policy has been in effect for 25
years and that most airlines have similar rules, but few carriers
enforce them.

The airline said it offered Smith a $100 flight voucher, which he said
he refused. Smith eventually got on another Southwest flight.

He then tweeted a photo of himself on the plane with his cheeks puffed
out, saying,"Look how fat I am on your plane! Quick! Throw me off!"

After landing in Burbank, Smith tweeted, "Don't worry: wall of the plane
was opened & I was airlifted out while Richard Simmons supervised."

Southwest apologized to Smith on Twitter and issued a statement on its
blog, under the title, "Not So Silent Bob." The airline said Smith had
purchased two tickets, as he often does, but when Smith decided to fly
earlier on standby, only one seat was available, and he was told to get
off the plane after he was already seated.

The incident has prompted the National Association to Advance Fat
Acceptance to call for a boycott of Southwest. The group issued a
statement urging "people of size to seek out and travel airlines that do
not have such discriminatory policies."

"You (messed) with the wrong sedentary processed-foods eater!" tweeted
Smith, whose next film, "Cop Out," opens Feb. 26.

I see, he wanted some publicity for his next film....

Sancho Panza writes:

"If a customer cannot comfortably lower the armrest and infringes on a
portion of another seat, a customer seated adjacent would be very
uncomfortable and a timely exit from the aircraft in the event of an
emergency might be compromised if we allow a cramped, restricted seating
arrangement," Southwest said.

Southwest is right, however politically incorrect it might sound.

Southwest apologized to Smith on Twitter and issued a statement on its
blog, under the title, "Not So Silent Bob." The airline said Smith had
purchased two tickets, as he often does, but when Smith decided to fly
earlier on standby, only one seat was available, and he was told to get
off the plane after he was already seated.

He should have waited for a flight with two seats.

The incident has prompted the National Association to Advance Fat
Acceptance to call for a boycott of Southwest. The group issued a
statement urging "people of size to seek out and travel airlines that do
not have such discriminatory policies."

Let them boycott. The number of people fat enough to have a problem with seats
is quite small compared to the number of people of normal or near-normal
weight who have no such problems. A boycott by the massively-fat people will
have no effect at all, and may reduce headaches for the airline and other
passengers.

I see, he wanted some publicity for his next film....

Fat celebrities deserve the same treatment that any other fat person gets.

In article ,
Lady Veteran wrote:



There is not problem. Southwest Airlines is going to alienate the
wrong fat person one of these days and that fat person is going to own
the airline.

No they won't. They have been sued numerous times over the course of 25
years that they have had this policy and there is a now a rather fat (so
to speak) file of case law that says they can. Besides, the
discrimination laws are very specific about what are protected classes
and fatties are not included.

--
I get off on '57 Chevys
I get off on screamin' guitars
--Eric Clapton

DevilsPGD wrote:

In message "Cellulite Damage"
was claimed to have wrote:

"The pilot reportedly said Smith was a "safety risk" because he was
unable to put down the armrest. "

The reports seem to be inconsistent, the first couple articles I read
quoted Kevin as saying he had his seat-belt on and the armrests were
down.

The other articles were quoting Kevin Smith and fat people tend to be
liars. Believe the captain of the plane.

--